


Tell Me Why You Hate Me

by funfan



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Angst, Coming Out, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-04-02 12:27:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4059976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/funfan/pseuds/funfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a disappointing season, Marco goes to Dortmund's training center to pack his things. He doesn't know that there is a last ordeal waiting for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tell Me Why You Hate Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GoForGoals](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoForGoals/gifts).



> Dear GoForGoals, I'm gifting this work to you because we both want Erik to step up and call Marco to account. Hopefully, you will like the way he does that in this work. :-)  
> My dear readers, I hope you will enjoy this one-shot and please don't forget to share your opinion. Feedback is the most precious thing for an author. :-)

Marco lets out a heavy sigh. The training center is empty, with his teammates gone to their holidays. Some might say that it isn’t a deserved rest at all, but they surely need it. Their horrid season is finally over and Marco couldn’t be more grateful for it. The last year felt like falling into a bottomless well with no way out. And just when the cup final was gifted to them like a last life belt, they failed to grasp the only trophy that could have sweetened this season. But, the summer break is here and he hopes that it will change things.

He needs a change and a break from all the criticism he got in the past months. He stands in front of the wall with the vow that every player had to make at the beginning of the season. And now, it seems to Marco that only a few have managed to keep their promise and it feels completely useless. They have underperformed ever since last August and he knows it. He doesn’t even know if the oath will be kept in its place. Maybe, the new coach will try to erase any memory of Kloppo, his mentor and will expect his players to look forward twenty-four hours a day. Why would he deny it? He is afraid of what the future holds for him.

His ankle has suffered a lot and there are no guarantees that it is healed now. Maybe, he will spend the rest of the next season on the sidelines, as well. Maybe, he will get even more criticism if Borussia Dortmund’s story doesn’t change radically very soon. Everyone wants him to make the difference and rightly so. And god, he has wanted to make that change so many times; it just didn’t work out.

He starts off towards the locker room to grab his things and bid farewell to the place that is his second home. It has been his second home for the last three years and he hopes that it will remain his second home for a long time.

The changing room is empty, almost every locker is open and cleared. Marco steps to his own compartment. He doesn’t have a lot of stuff here: a few towels, a change of clothes and the necessary products he needs to ensure that he has perfect looks all the time. He won’t need a lot of time to pack it all, and yet, he doesn’t want to leave the place that has held a negative atmosphere. He unzips his backpack with another sigh and starts to stuff his things into it.

“Marco?” A shy voice startles him and he spins around quickly.

“Erik.” He says in a cold voice, hoping that he has found the right tone that still doesn’t hurt the young defender with the boyish features. He wants to see Erik as a greenhorn who has just started to flirt with professional football, but it is not true. Erik is a world champion and Marco couldn’t be happier for him. And also, one can’t miss the obvious signs of Erik growing up, starting with the soft stubble. Marco draws in a shaky breath. He has never seen anyone grow up so quickly as Erik, but he can understand it. He knows how much this shitty season affected the defender and he values Erik’s commitment to the club. But, there is another shade to their relationship which he can’t do anything about. Maybe he doesn’t even want to notice it.

“What are you doing here?” He asks, his snappy voice hurting his ears.

“What you are doing. Packing my things.” Erik says, the sparkle from his always smiling eyes gone.

“Can you make it quick? I want to spend some time alone.” Marco says, watching carefully the reaction he gets.

At first, it seems that Erik will react like he always does. The corners of his lips curve down, he shots down his look and pales. Marco doesn’t want to see him like that, but there’s no other way for them. But then, the defender does something he has never done before. He looks back at Marco, sheer determination in his eyes and takes a heavy breath before he bursts out in anger.

“No, I won’t make it quick! And you know why? Because I’m an important member of the team, just like you! I won’t take your shit anymore, Marco! What is your problem with me? I’d be glad if you told me because it is very annoying! All season long, I’ve been doing my best to help our team out of the relegation zone and I think I’ve done a pretty good job which can’t be told about you! So please tell me why you’ve taken everything out on me? Why am I always your scapegoat?”

Marco is taken aback by the intensity of Erik words and he takes a step back. He has never seen the defender this angry and he has to gulp to compose himself just a little bit. There’s no way he will be afraid of Erik. Mostly because he deserves all the scolding he gets.

“I’m sorry, Erik. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’ve just wanted the best for the team.” He mumbles and it doesn’t feel right. He is the vice-captain of the team; he should speak more firmly with a teammate even when it is Erik.

“You didn’t _mean_ to hurt me?” Erik asks with a raised eyebrow. “What _did_ you mean? Have you been doing this deliberately?”

Marco curses silently as he realizes that he has given himself away carelessly. Yes, he knows that he has treated Erik very badly and he is deeply ashamed of it. But, he hasn’t seen any alternative. He couldn’t have treated the man who loved him and whom he loved any differently if he wanted their careers to keep existing. And, he couldn’t have told this to Erik. He is only a child, he wouldn’t understand. But now, as Marco stares into those expectant hazel eyes, he must admit that he has maybe misjudged Erik. He isn’t the kid Marco sees anymore and maybe it is time to tell him the truth.

“Yes, Erik, I’ve been distant to you on purpose.” The brunette looks at him with a completely baffled expression. “Here it comes.” Marco sighs and takes a deep breath. “I noticed that you might have felt more for me than friendship.”

“Oh.” Erik says, his face turned completely red.

“Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against you being gay.” He hastens to say. “In fact, I’m gay, too.”

“What?” Erik jerks up his head. He certainly hasn’t expected this twist.

“I was in a relationship with Mario.” Marco continues, the words now flowing from his mouth unstoppably. “And when he left for Bayern, I was devastated. But, I managed to forget him and I thought it would be for the best if I stayed single for the rest of my career. But, you came along and I couldn’t resist my needs. I knew that I was falling in love with you and I wanted to stop it despite what my heart dictated to me. Because I’ve been risking my career once with Mario and I didn’t want you to go through the same. So that’s why I’ve been distant to you. I thought that if I was cold to you, you would hate me. I’ve never hated you Erik. I never could and I never would.”

“Marco.” Erik pants and he steps closer to the blonde winger who starts to sob after his sincere confession. “I still love you and I could never hate you. You hurt me, yes, but if I had known why you were doing it, I would have been touched by your tenderness. I am touched by it right now. But, you don’t have to worry about my career. Let _me_ decide about it. And I’d rather have an unsuccessful and short career with you by my side than a glorious one hiding my true self and denying my feelings.”

Marco closes down the distance between them and buries his head in the defender’s chest. Erik wraps his arms around him protectively and draws soothing circles on his back. The blonde keeps sobbing for long minutes and by the time he is done with it, his eyes are red and swollen from crying. It hurts Erik to see him that way, but at the same time, he is grateful that Marco has finally opened up and let out what must have been troubling him for the entire season.

“Erik, you did a wonderful job all the time.” Marco admits, his voice still weak, but the sadness gone. “You’ve been better than most of us and you never lost your motivation even in the hardest times. If the guys want to look up to someone and take him as an example, it should be you and not me.”

“Marco.” Erik sighs, trying hard to swallow back his tears. The praise he gets feels so good after the scoldings and tellings-off. “Why don’t we lead this team to where it belongs next season? Together?”

The blonde looks up at him and Erik sees in his eyes what he has wanted to see for so long. Love.


End file.
